Computing devices are commonly utilized to perform many functions that relate to both business uses and personal uses. Many people use such devices to perform common tasks, such as writing a document (e.g., letter, report, novel) or performing calculations in a spreadsheet application as well as numerous other tasks. Today, there is a growing trend for people to spend more time interacting with a computing device than they spend interacting with other people.
As it relates to communicating with others, various functions, such as instant message applications or email applications are generally used instead of calling a person on the telephone or physically going to see someone. Such information exchange can occur by a user entering information (e.g., text, visual, audio, and so on) into a display area of a user device and communicating with one or more other people in a back-and-forth manner. This almost instantaneous communication allows a user and various contacts in disparate locations (or even within the same office) to communicate in a real time fashion.
Utilizing functionalities across applications (such as email and spreadsheet applications) can generally only be performed through time-consuming manual tasks. For example, if a calculation is desired in an email, the calculation is performed manually using pen and paper or it is performed in another application, such as a spreadsheet application, and imported or copied into the email application. This can be frustrating and can waste time, which could be better spent performing other tasks, or allowing the user to have more leisure time.
In addition, if a conversation or other communication begins in a first format (e.g., email) and a response or later communication is sent in a different format (e.g., voice call) the communications might not be associated with each other for later retrieval purposes. Thus, important communications might be lost or the different modes of communication might make them difficult, if not impossible, to find when the communication is desired to be reviewed.